Adobe looks to Wap and streaming content

Publishing and graphics software specialist Adobe has strengthened its web strategy by partnering with Nokia to develop mobile services and with RealNetworks to deploy streaming media products.

Adobe and Nokia plan to develop a WML authoring platform based on Adobe's GoLive 5.0 web development environment. The platform will allow developers to create content for wireless devices and view their services through an onscreen emulator of Nokia Wap-enabled phones.

The Nokia WML 1.1 Emulator will be available free from both companies' websites in the first quarter of next year.

Adobe is working with RealNetworks to allow web developers to create streaming media content using Adobe software. As part of the agreement, Adobe's Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) viewer will be available to RealPlayer users through RealNetworks' auto-update service.

SVG allows content developers to design sites with high-resolution graphics features such as gradients, animation and filter effects. Adobe will also develop a synchronised multimedia integrated language extension for GoLive.

The partnerships are part of Adobe's so-called network publishing strategy for developing graphics and multimedia-oriented web content that can be viewed using a variety of devices. The company is best known for desktop packages such as Photoshop, FrameMaker and Illustrator.